


slow dance these summer nights

by markgeolli



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Confessions, Explicit Sexual Content, Getting Together, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-16 13:12:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18522229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/markgeolli/pseuds/markgeolli
Summary: Back then, Mark would've never imagined he'd befriend, much less date Lucas, who was already almost as tall as Johnny as a freshman and always laughed with his whole body, doubling over in mirth. Back then, Mark could’ve never imagined this intimacy, the warmth of Lucas’s body curled around his, hand splayed across Mark’s belly.





	slow dance these summer nights

**Author's Note:**

> this fic was written to [khalid's better](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkOF8UiB7u8) on loop. please listen as you read if you'd like!

Mark wakes up to the thunderstorm, a torrent of rain sheeting down the wide-paneled windows. For a strange, sleep-hazy moment, he wonders if he's in the ocean, surrounded by endless blue, their bed a centerpiece in a submarine with glass walls. He half-expects a school of tropical fish to swim by, only to get dragged down by the deluge.

Beside him, Lucas lets out a sigh and tightens his grip on Mark's hip, and the illusion dissipates. His body is warm and seemingly endless, and Mark rolls over to bury his face against Lucas's chest.

"Hey," Lucas says, his voice a quiet rasp. He shifts his arm to curl around Mark's shoulders instead, warm palm pressed against Mark's skin under his shirt collar.

"Hey," Mark says back. "It's raining."

Lucas only groans, squinting grumpily towards the windows, and Mark can't help but crack a smile at the sight. He looks like a disgruntled cat woken too soon, though it's impossible to tell the time from the overcast skies alone. After a few moments, Lucas flops his head back onto the pillows and yawns until his jaw cracks.

"Xuxi," Mark says, hearing the whine slip into his voice. Even after all this time, it's hard to resist the blush that immediately follows; Lucas drew out an occasional petulance, a quiet but fierce appreciation for being indulged, in the early months of their relationship that surprised them both. "You promised me sightseeing. Dim sum. Victoria Peak."

"Too wet and slippery to go to the peak, babe," Lucas mumbles. "We won't be able to see anything through the rain, anyway."

"We could go get dim sum."

"Why bother when there's Indomie in the kitchen?" Lucas opens his eyes to meet Mark's for a crooked smile that brings out his dimple. "I'll even put two eggs in yours if you want."

"So romantic," Mark says, smiling back.

"No less romantic than when you made us hangover ramen, right?" Lucas says. It was one of their college rituals to nurse their twin hangovers over Shin Ramen the day after a KASA party; Lucas would always claim no one got the ratio of chili powder to hot water the way Mark did, but Mark knows he was just too lazy to make the ramen himself.

"Ramen's more romantic," Mark says solemnly. "I was so hungover making it."

"Cute," Lucas says, nuzzling Mark's hair. "Let's just stay in bed all day today. I'll take you out for dim sum after the storm stops, promise."

"Okay," Mark says, content. He'd already known he wasn't going to put up any more than token resistance anyway. The idea of leaving Lucas's apartment - the warm cocoon of his blankets and body heat - to go out into the pouring summer rain might've held more appeal if his stay in Hong Kong were shorter, but the days sprawl out before them, as if the thunderstorm itself is holding their responsibilities at bay. Mark can tell Lucas feels it too when he turns his head for a kiss, languid and easy.

 

 

They'd first met in college, at the KASA table in the main quad of all places, even though Mark was Korean Canadian, not Korean American, and Lucas was neither. Mark joined KASA on Johnny's enthusiastic recommendation - the spirit of which was dutifully carried out by Jaehyun as Johnny's little - but Ten had simply plucked Lucas from somewhere on campus and brought him to the KASA table to write down his email address and take a flyer.

Back then, Mark would've never imagined he'd befriend, much less date Lucas, who was already almost as tall as Johnny as a freshman and always laughed with his whole body, doubling over in mirth. Back then, Mark could’ve never imagined this intimacy, the warmth of Lucas’s body curled around his, hand splayed across Mark’s belly.

And yet, between Mark saving Lucas a seat in their shared lectures and Lucas gamely partnering with (and hard carrying) Mark in every beer pong match, they somehow gained a reputation of always being together - always in charge of the pre-retreat shopping, Doyoung's carefully compiled grocery list in hand; always lounging together in the common room on Lucas's floor, even though Mark's was a shorter trek up the stairs. Even after they moved out of the dorms, their apartments were easily walking distance, which meant they spent so much time at each other's places that Dejun joked about charging Mark rent and Jaemin started actually sending Lucas Venmo requests for his share of groceries.

By the time Mark realized he liked Lucas, it was the middle of sophomore year and Lucas had his go-to coffee order memorized, materializing with said coffee in hand whenever he sensed Mark was stressing over his KASA Culture Showcase duties like he had a custom alert for it. "You're the best," Mark said fervently once, though he always thought it. He reached out for the still-steaming coffee cup with grabby hands, sighing in relief as soon as Lucas handed it to him and the warmth seeped into his fingers.

"I know," Lucas said with that lopsided smile of his, the little one that peeked out whenever he was feeling particularly pleased with himself.

Mark reflexively smiled back, feeling that persistent flutter in the pit of his stomach that made him want to panic text Doyoung immediately, or maybe Jaemin, or just someone, _anyone_ , who knew the protocol for what to do when you had a huge crush on your best friend. It had grown so quietly, for so long, that Mark had no idea what to do with himself when he finally realized its existence.

 

 

By the time Mark opens his eyes again, it's significantly darker and still pouring rain, Lucas's bedroom awash now with the fluorescent kaleidoscope of Hong Kong nightlife. Lucas is awake this time, the city lights lengthening across his face and occasionally catching the irises of his eyes, throwing the brown into shades of neon.

Mark reaches up to catch a flicker of light across Lucas's cheek, tracing the red glow with his thumb until it slides off the edge of Lucas's jaw and disappears. He catches his breath as Lucas turns to press a kiss to the middle of his palm, a brief press of warmth. "Lucas," he whispers, unable to resist the shyness that steals his voice and floods his cheeks.

"Mark," Lucas murmurs back. His body radiates heat everywhere they're touching, from Mark's hand on his face to their intertwined legs. "I'm here."

Maybe it's because they've never really been together like this. In school, they were always conscious of the thin walls of their respective apartments, or the presence of their friends tempering any PDA beyond holding hands and chaste pecks when parting ways. Here, it's just the two of them, the full weight of Lucas's attentions settling over Mark's entire body. He wants to hide away and press into it at the same time, drink it in more until it’s too sweet to bear. It feels so easy to just stay here forever, tucked away in Lucas's bedroom as the downpour lingers over the city, drowning everything else out.

The way they're enveloped in darkness and body heat gives Mark the courage to curl his fingers in Lucas's tank top, tugging his boyfriend closer. Lucas shifts readily, and the arm he'd wrapped loosely around Mark's waist shifts so he's cradling the back of Mark's thigh in one large hand instead. It's nothing new, but Mark still shivers at the reminder of how Lucas is bigger and stronger than him, always aware of the contrast between their bodies. "Lucas," Mark says again, catching his breath against how badly he wants. "Please."

"I know, I've got you," Lucas whispers, coaxing Mark's legs apart slightly so he can slot his thigh between them, closing the remaining gap between their bodies. By the time Lucas finally kisses him, Mark is so wound up he jolts at the contact, gasping against Lucas's mouth before muscle memory and Lucas's other hand sliding up the small of his back eases him back into the wet, gentle pressure.

 

 

The subsequent weeks after The Realization were filled with the inevitable chaos of planning an event as big as the Culture Showcase, which featured Dumbfounded and thus required a headache of sound equipment and security, and Lucas steadfastly wearing sleeveless tank tops to tabling despite the rapidly cooling weather. Over the summer between freshman and sophomore year, Lucas had gotten a line of Chinese script tattooed across his right shoulder blade back home in Hong Kong, and every time it peeked out from underneath his shirt, Mark flushed and had to look somewhere else, to Jaemin and Donghyuck's visible glee. By the time the Culture Showcase was happily over, pronounced a resounding success, and the final ticket count was accounted for by Jaehyun - who'd bemusedly found himself KASA President after Doyoung's inevitable graduation - Mark was more than ready for the afterparty.

Jungwoo, who'd Mark always liked in recreational settings but had learned to fear when alcohol was involved, handed him a generous shot of Ciroc as soon as he walked into the KASA house, which basically set the tone for the night. Mark drank, lost resoundingly in beer pong partnered with Jeno against Jaehyun and Sicheng, drank some more, and then somehow found himself well into tipsy and half-sprawled in Lucas's lap on the couch.

"Wher've you been?" Mark asked Lucas's knee. He squinted, knowing that this was somehow the wrong vantage point, but wasn't sure how to reorient himself to find Lucas's face. Lucas was wearing his black jeans with the rips in them, and Mark poked a finger into the fraying at Lucas's mid-thigh, momentarily distracted by the exposed skin.

"That tickles," Lucas laughed somewhere above and behind Mark's head, which helped organize all of the spinny things, and soon enough, Mark rolled over to blink up at Lucas's fond smile. "How much have you had to drink?"

Mark furrowed his brow and thought long and hard enough that Lucas laughed again, reaching up to smooth out his forehead with the pad of his thumb. "A lot?" Mark guessed. His words felt like they were the consistency of molasses in his mouth. "I...lost at beer pong with Jeno."

"I can tell," Lucas said. He sounded fine, which of course he did, even though Mark figured he'd had at least as much to drink as Mark himself. The party had been the right balance of fun and rowdy, as all parties hosted by Ten were, but things were beginning to wind down and Mark felt warm and comfortable, lulled into sleepiness from Lucas's proximity. They'd never been so close before, Mark nestled in Lucas's lap and vaguely considering touching Lucas's stomach where his shirt had rucked up, but everything felt so good Mark couldn't bring himself to worry about it.

"Hey," Mark said, suddenly remembering and pushing out his bottom lip in a pout, blinking to bring Lucas's face back into focus. "You - You're my beer pong partner though! Where’d you go?" He couldn't quite recall how the beer pong tournament had begun, just remembered cheering along as Renjun grimaced through his third red Solo cup, then groaning as the manifestation of defeat stared him and Jeno in the face as Jaehyun and Sicheng effortlessly sunk shot after shot into their cups, even when Jeno got desperate enough to start smacking them away. Lucas hadn't been there at the beginning of the round, though, and even through the muddled recollections of Mark's tipsy brain, he remembered looking for Lucas's distinctive frame in the crowd until Donghyuck shouted impatiently, "Are you playing or not?"

Lucas made a noncommittal sound, stroking Mark's bangs out of his face, which felt nice enough that Mark quieted. "Sorry, sorry, I was talking to Kun just now. I owe you one."

There was something in Lucas's expression that made Mark tighten his fingers into the fabric of Lucas's shirt, stare more intently and wish that his head was clearer, if only to figure out what was off. He couldn't help but think he was missing something, tucked in between Lucas's steady stream of coffees and quiet companionship as Mark stressed over venue booking and artist paperwork. "Everything okay?" Mark asked finally, unable to think of a more subtle way to put it.

"Yeah," Lucas said without hesitation, and it didn't sound like he was faking it. Mark wanted to ask more questions, if only he could think of any, but the way Lucas was slowly carding his fingers through Mark's hair finally tipped him over the edge into sleep.

 

 

Mark pulls back from the kiss to catch his breath, and Lucas makes an amused sound, pressing the curve of his grin to Mark's throat. "Don't laugh," Mark complains, tightening his grip on Lucas's shoulders. In the darkness, he feels more than sees Lucas - his broad frame under Mark's hands, their bodies tangled together, the rhythm of his breathing.

"You're too cute," Lucas says, punctuating his words with another kiss, this time open-mouthed, and Mark squirms at the wet suction that follows. The movement brings him further into the cage of Lucas's body, and Mark can't help but whimper at the friction from Lucas's thigh, hips stuttering forward automatically to chase the spark of pleasure.

Lucas hums, pleased, shifting his grip on Mark's waist to encourage him to ride Lucas's thigh properly. "Oh, shit," Mark mumbles, letting his head drop back onto the pillow as Lucas guides him into the rhythm he wants, kissing down Mark's throat again. It feels so good it's almost unfair, and Mark reaches up to tug Lucas into another kiss, messy and deep.

Sometimes, kissing Lucas is like flipping a switch - the rest of the world softens into vague impressions, the diligent part of Mark's mind that tends to mull over upcoming tasks and commitments finally falling quiet. When they first started dating two years ago, exploring physical intimacy was so foreign and unfamiliar that Mark felt his cheeks flush immediately even from holding hands. Sitting in Lucas's lap in the privacy of Lucas's bedroom was even more challenging, Mark unable to keep himself from hiding his face against Lucas's chest as Lucas muffled a laugh, arms curled around Mark's waist. It was almost a relief to kiss, to have something to respond to, reassured that Lucas was enjoying himself just as much when he smiled against Mark's mouth and stroked his hands down Mark's back.

"Cute," Lucas repeats when they separate again, and Mark is helpless to the affection in his expression, softly illuminated and so achingly tender. Lucas adjusts his position to spread his weight more evenly between his elbows and knees, and the movement brings the firm heat of his erection to meet Mark's, both of them moaning quietly at the pressure.

"Lucas - Xuxi," Mark whispers, and they're intertwined together so closely he can feel the tremor run through Lucas's body when Mark calls his name, even after all this time. Any little movement they make sends reverberations of pleasure through Mark’s body, which he hopes Lucas feels, too. "Please, can you…"

“What do you want?" Lucas asks, as if Mark doesn’t want everything. Lucas knows it, too; Mark can feel his little smirk as he presses a kiss to Mark’s temple, hands smoothing up Mark’s shirt this time to splay warm and possessive on Mark’s skin.

“Don’t make me say it,” Mark complains, even as he tugs Lucas closer. He pulls insistently at Lucas’s tank top until Lucas withdraws his hands from Mark’s body, long enough for Mark to yank Lucas’s shirt off over his head.

Lucas studies Mark’s face, smirk growing as Mark takes it in his exposed chest. His shoulders and arms look even better without the tank top in the way, the defined cut of his hips narrowing to lead Mark's gaze towards the waistband of his sweats. Even as his cheeks blush anew to match the heat curling in his belly, Mark keeps looking - this is his to enjoy all he wants, and not even Lucas’s smugness will stop him from luxuriating in it. “Like what you see?”

“You know I do,” Mark says petulantly. Lucas sits up and settles his weight back on his heels to let Mark take his fill, eyes dark and anticipatory as he watches for Mark’s reaction. Mark reaches up to trace the dips of his abs appreciatively, lightly trailing his fingertips down until they settle over Lucas’s cock, applying just enough pressure so that Lucas can feel it even through his remaining layers of clothing.

Lucas moans, eyes slitting shut for a moment before he blinks them open again. “That feels good, baby,” he says, and it’s Mark’s turn to shiver at the endearment in Lucas’s low, rumbling voice. Touching Lucas always feels good, as Mark had expected, but the satisfaction of making Lucas make raw, pleased sounds like that from Mark's touch alone is even better.

Growing more confident, Mark palms Lucas's cock properly this time, mapping out the shape of it with his hand as Lucas exhales harshly, like it's hard to keep his hands still where they're resting on his own thighs. Mark wants Lucas to put his hands on him again, he wants to touch Lucas everywhere, to map out his entire body with his hands and lips, to remind himself of all the ways he's come to know Lucas as well as he knows himself. "I want to - let me…" Mark trails off, wondering if it's possible to blush even harder than he already is. "Can we...switch?"

"Of course," Lucas says, and they take a moment to shuffle positions, Lucas sitting up against the headboard of the bed, Mark wobbling a little on his knees between Lucas's thighs until Lucas reaches out to steady him. "Wait," Lucas says gently, and pulls him into another kiss, and Mark can't help but melt into it, opening his mouth to the press of Lucas's tongue.

Mark nips Lucas's bottom lip and pulls back first, laughing as Lucas half-rises from the headboard to follow his mouth for one more kiss. "My turn," Mark reminds him as he leans down, hands already mapping out Lucas's chest. He traces out a path that he follows with his lips, pressing soft kisses to Lucas's collarbone, his nipple, his abs, and even one to his belly button, which makes Lucas jump a little, ticklish, before he settles back into Mark's hands. When Mark reaches Lucas's waistband, he can't help but peek up at Lucas, his boyfriend's dark, intent gaze visible even in the muted lighting.

He can ask if this is okay, if this is what Lucas wants, but he already knows the answer. Even if they weren't here, tucked away in their own corner of Hong Kong, that answer wouldn't change. Instead, this is about them, about the time they spent adjusting to each other's pace, learning each other's bodies, so that Mark can tug down Lucas's sweatpants with hands that tremble with anticipation, rather than nerves.

 

 

The end of the semester always brought a stillness that settled over the campus and its surrounding streets. The Saturday after finals week, Mark had walked from his apartment to meet Lucas at their usual cafe and marveled at the silence, how absolute it became once all the stressed students trickled their way home.

He and Lucas were among the last to leave - Mark because he'd drawn an unfortunate Friday late afternoon final slot, Lucas because flights back to Hong Kong were cheaper for a Sunday red-eye - so it only made sense they grabbed lunch together one more time before winter break. Lucas had finished finals on Thursday, and graciously delivered (or rather, smuggled, like a true homie) a sandwich into the library for Mark, who had been knee deep in readings and existential crisis. It was infinitely more pleasant to walk to the cafe and see Lucas already waiting for him, hood up and gaze focused on his phone as he texted, hands dwarfing the onscreen keyboard.

Walking up to him, Mark could see why the KASA girls giggled and whispered furiously to each other when Lucas was around. He cut a striking figure even in a hoodie and joggers, handsome in a way Mark always figured actors to be - much less his best friend, who called home in quiet, warm Cantonese, who slung an arm around Mark's shoulders without thinking about it, who always laughed full body, like he meant it. As the rush of midterms picked up, Mark had envisioned himself tucking away his crush on Lucas in favor of studying with relief. But exams just meant more study sessions with Lucas, more late evenings of Lucas with his long legs stretched out under Mark's coffee table as he frowned at a problem set. Mark let Lucas cajole him into more than one late night popcorn chicken run to see Lucas scarf his down too quickly, complaining when the first piece burnt his tongue until Mark offered him a sip of his boba.

"Hey," Mark said once he was close enough, and Lucas looked up from his phone immediately, slipping it into his pocket as he smiled at the sight of Mark. Mark didn't think he'd ever get tired of this smile, _his_ smile, on Lucas's face. "All good?"

"Yeah, just coordinating with my parents on who's picking me up from the airport," Lucas said easily. Mark couldn't help but frown at the reminder of Lucas returning home on the other side of the world for the next few weeks, and Lucas hip-checked him gently towards the cafe doors. "C'mon, let's get some food in you if you're making faces like that."

"What faces," Mark whined, then flushed when Lucas smirked at him for it.

There was barely any line and a short wait for their sandwiches, a testament to the post-finals emptiness; Lucas was quieter than usual, not supplying his usual chatter while they waited, but gave Mark a reassuring half-smile when their gazes met. They took their food on campus for a change, finding a bench overlooking the main quad and its sole occupants, a girl throwing a tennis ball for her dog.

With the wind picking up, it was chilly enough that Mark shivered as he sat down, wishing he'd worn an extra layer over his sweater. "Cold?" Lucas asked, reaching for the hem of his hoodie as if he was about to pull it off and offer it to Mark.

"No, I'm okay," Mark protested, knowing Lucas had the bad habit of wearing sleeveless tank tops, or sometimes nothing at all underneath his hoodies. He'd found that out the hard way - catching glimpses of Lucas's smooth, tan skin when Lucas raised his arms over his head for immense stretches, before hastily focusing on his notes again.

"Okay, okay," Lucas said, and sat close to Mark on the bench, closer than usual, and put his arm around Mark's shoulders. Mark almost startled at the gesture, but the warmth of Lucas's body heat was so irresistible, he couldn't help but lean into Lucas's side, thankful for the windbreak Lucas's body provided. It was a warmth that Mark was getting to know better lately, from the few times Mark had accidentally dozed off mid-practice exam only to wake up in Lucas's arms, Lucas carrying him down the hallway to his bedroom. Just yesterday, Lucas had wrapped him up in a hug right before Mark went in for his last final, a good luck charm that lingered long after Mark sat down to take the exam.

Mark belatedly realized Lucas had set his sandwich down on the table before them, without making a move to unwrap it. "Lucas?" he asked. When he turned to look up at Lucas's face, though, Lucas avoided his gaze, watching the girl and her dog out on the quad instead. His hand was warm on Mark's shoulder, the heat seeping in through the knitted material of Mark’s sweater.

"Mark," Lucas said abruptly. There was something strange in his voice, an edge of tightness that made Mark's neck prickle with the beginnings of anxiety. He'd never heard Lucas sound like this before, a look on his face Mark hadn't seen since… "I need to tell you something, but I - I don't know if you… If you've ever thought about…"

With a start, Mark knew what Lucas would say before he could say it. He almost dropped his half-unwrapped sandwich in his haste, the words bursting out before his mind could even catch up to hold them back, to doubt. "I have."

Lucas was looking at him properly now, a terrible mixture of shock and hope blooming across his face that overwhelmed Mark with the desire to hold Lucas's face in his hands and shake him a little. "I have," Mark said again, more forcefully this time. How could Lucas not _know_ , or if he had known all along, then why didn't he believe it, why hadn't he said anything _earlier_. "Yes. Me too, Lucas. Of course I have."

"Great," Lucas said, laughing, relief so tangible in the sound it made Mark's chest ache. "That's great, that's awesome." When Lucas pulled him closer, Mark turned to bury his face against Lucas's chest, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt Lucas press a quick kiss to the top of his head and murmur _I like you_ , quiet and sweet. This embarrassing closeness, the intimacy of it all, was so simultaneously unfamiliar yet familiar that Mark had to suppress a shiver, tightening his hands in Lucas's hoodie so hard that, for a moment, he didn't think he could let go.

In the end, Lucas's stomach grumbled loudly enough that they were both startled into laughter, pulling apart so they could finally eat their sandwiches. Lucas ate with gusto, Mark was glad to see, and even without Lucas's arm around him, he could feel Lucas's body heat down the entire length of his thigh where they were pressed together.

"It's too bad it's winter break," Lucas said later, when they were dawdling in front of the lobby of Mark's apartment building, putting off goodbyes they both knew were inevitable. Mark wasn't even done packing to go home, given his Friday final, and for some masochistic reason, he'd told Jaemin and Jeno that he would do a final cleaning sweep of the entire apartment. "And that's not a sentence I ever thought I'd say."

"Me neither," Mark said, smiling. They weren't quite touching, but Lucas was sitting on a ledge by the stairs, Mark standing between his thighs, and he was close enough for Mark to reach out and brush his fingertips against Lucas's chest if he wanted to. He could do that now, and just imagining it sent a thrill down his spine.

"I'll text you a lot. Or we can call, we just have to figure out the best time with the time difference," Lucas promised. "And maybe - maybe one day you can visit me in Hong Kong?"

They'd talked about it before - every once in a while, Lucas would mention some restaurant or childhood haunt or tourist destination he'd take Mark to if he ever came to Hong Kong, and Mark had looked up plane tickets before, but now it felt more real than it ever had been. "I'd like that a lot," Mark said honestly, and Lucas beamed up at him, catching Mark's hand in his and tangling their fingers between them.

 

 

"Babe, fuck," Lucas gasps as Mark licks at the head of his cock, curling his fingers around the base and humming in response. Lucas finds Mark's other hand and intertwines their fingers against his hip, using his other hand to push Mark's bangs out of his face. It didn't take long to realize Lucas really likes to _watch_ , with an attentiveness that Mark found endlessly embarrassing until it finally, belatedly clicked that Lucas did it because he found Mark hot - sexy, even. Now, it just makes heat flush under his skin, mouth wetting with more spit as Mark takes Lucas down further and sucks carefully. "God, that's so good, you're so perfect," Lucas says, voice tight.

Mark shivers at the praise and doubles his efforts, trying to find that slick rhythm of up-and-down that makes Lucas moan out more compliments. Lucas's hand strokes through his hair as if he can't keep still, tugging lightly when Mark takes him in a bit further.

He's so focused on it - the flavor of Lucas salty on his tongue, the flex of Lucas's thigh beneath his forearm - that Lucas's touch to his cock takes him by surprise, Mark jerking his head up reflexively. "Xuxi," he gasps, shuddering as Lucas uses the unfair advantage of his long reach to stroke Mark inside of his shorts, fingertips teasing over where he's leaking pre-come. He tries to glare up at his boyfriend, but the effect is diminished by the way he can't resist chasing Lucas's touch with his hips. "I thought it was my turn."

"Couldn't help myself," Lucas laughs breathlessly, a sound that chokes off into another low groan as Mark slides his mouth down over Lucas's cock again. Lucas's hand withdraws from Mark's shorts to grip his hip instead, tightening as Mark sucks harder, but it's not long before Lucas is nudging him away, shifting Mark's weight back over his heels. Mark likes that too, Lucas's gentle manhandling of Mark's body to where Lucas wants him.

Even in the low light, the lithe stretch of Lucas's body is a revelation as he twists to retrieve lube and a condom from the bedside drawer. Mark stays close, stroking Lucas's length in the loose curl of his fingers, and Lucas gives him a look over his shoulder, his gaze dark with anticipation. As soon as Lucas shucks off his sweatpants, Mark crawls into Lucas's lap and leans in for more kisses, smiling against Lucas's mouth as Lucas obliges immediately.

Lucas pushes Mark's shirt up to curl a hand high up on Mark's side, almost like he's carefully cupping Mark's ribcage in one palm. "You're wearing too many clothes, babe," Lucas says when he draws back from sucking a hickey at the base of Mark's throat.

"Oh, you're right," Mark says, blinking down at himself, still fully clothed in one of Lucas's old track t-shirts and a pair of his own sleep shorts. They'd tumbled into bed as soon as they got back from the airport, Lucas picking Mark up right as the light of dawn began seeping over the horizon; Mark had been so sleepy from his red-eye flight from Vancouver that he barely remembered the elevator ride up, Lucas handing him clothes to change into before they curled up together in Lucas's wide, comfortable bed. Lucas helps him tug that same shirt off over his head and wriggle out of his shorts, startling a laugh out of him as Lucas flings his clothes aimlessly off the edge of the mattress, which makes Lucas laugh too, his mirth sweet when Mark leans in to taste it.

They hadn’t done anything last night, too clumsy with sleep, but now Mark wants.

"Lie back for me?" Lucas asks, coaxing Mark to switch places with him. Mark eases back against the pillows, but immediately props himself up on his elbows to watch as Lucas settles in between his legs. He only needs to turn his head slightly to press his lips to skin, which he does, the first of a trail of kisses that drift up the inside of Mark's thigh. Mark squirms at the teasing, half-ticklish and half-impatient.

Lucas suddenly swallows Mark down, his mouth a wet, hot vice that has Mark arching off the bed, breath catching on a moan. Mark scrambles at the bedsheets, clutching at the thin fabric as Lucas sets a quicker pace than Mark's own, as if he's determined to draw out every whimper and gasp of his name from Mark's throat. It barely takes any time for Lucas to wind Mark back up, and Mark is helpless to it, awash with the blissful relief of giving up control, trusting Lucas with his body's reactions, just feeling and feeling.

He gasps and trembles as Lucas pulls off just as abruptly as he'd started, and one of the hands he'd braced against Mark's thighs disappears, followed by the pop of the lube cap. "You taste so good," Lucas whispers, without even a trace of embarrassment, and Mark can only whine at his words. He's not sure what would come out of his lips if he tried to reply, but then Lucas is stroking over the furl of his ass, licking at the head of his cock to distract him from the slick pressure of the first finger.

When they'd first started dating - and, okay, before that, too - Mark was hyperaware of Lucas's hands, his long limbs, his broad shoulders; Lucas had been an athlete in high school, and still carried himself like one. Everything felt new and overwhelming back then, as if Lucas himself had changed just because they'd confessed to each other - an awareness that stole over Mark every time they made eye contact, or even when he caught sight of Lucas out of the corner of his eye, persistent and exhilarating. He remembers taking Lucas's hand in his and placing them palm to palm, cheeks aflame when Lucas teased, "Baby hands" and intertwined their fingers. Now, Mark knows how Lucas will touch him - how he always takes his sweet time fingering Mark open, only adding another when Mark writhes against him for more.

Tonight is no exception, and Mark tightens around Lucas's fingers as if he can hold them there, in the warm clutch of his body. It's almost a relief that Lucas has backed off from sucking Mark's cock any longer, because Mark doesn't think he can take it. Even the drag of Lucas withdrawing his fingers to add more lube feels ridiculously good. "Xuxi," Mark sobs out, clutching at Lucas's shoulders, the slick press back inside even better. "C'mon, don't tease."

"Not teasing," Lucas murmurs, his voice silky and languid like he really could stay here all night, stroking an orgasm out of Mark with his fingers alone - not that it would be the first time. Still, when he lifts his gaze to meet Mark's, there's something in Lucas's expression that jolts deep in the pit of Mark's belly and clamors for more.

Mark can't help the sound he makes when Lucas withdraws his fingers, easing them out even as his other hand scrambles for the condom. Lucas rolls it on deftly and reaches for the lube again, and even that has Mark flushing and spreading his thighs even wider, taking his turn to watch as Lucas fists himself a couple times, slow and deliberate like he's putting on a show just for Mark. "Please," Mark says, voice cracking, and Lucas doesn't make him wait any longer before there's the blunt pressure of the head of his cock against Mark's hole.

He lets his eyes flutter shut and just breathes through it, Lucas’s size and heat overwhelming in the best way. In some ways, it always feels like the first time, Mark’s mind caught in a dozen places - Lucas inexorably inside of him, his back broad under Mark's hands, the sheen of sweat on Lucas’s chest, the slow flex of his arms - but Mark knows his body, recognizes the way it yields easier each time, welcoming Lucas home. He takes a shuddering breath and Lucas moans in response, hand clenching in the sheets beside Mark’s head. When Mark turns to kiss the inside of Lucas’s wrist, Lucas looks wrecked, hips stuttering before he catches himself and holds still. “Baby,” he rasps, voice hoarse.

“Feels good,” Mark breathes, and it does, the initial tension sliding into something hazy and warm as his body adjusts. There's nothing quite like the feeling of Lucas buried inside of him, but Mark doesn't think he'll ever stop marveling at the staggering closeness, the bone-deep connection of their bodies joining. Lucas watches Mark's expression carefully the whole time, matching Mark's pace with a tenderness that makes Mark's chest ache.

It's hard to say exactly when the press of Lucas's cock inside of him tips from _so full, too full_ into _not enough_ , but Mark pulls Lucas down for another wet, urgent kiss as soon as he feels it, with a tentative roll of his hips that has Lucas groaning against his mouth. "Fuck," Lucas mumbles, and Mark does it again just to see his brow furrow, eyes squeezing shut. Part of Mark still can't believe that he can make Lucas look like this, almost stricken by the pleasure they can give each other. "Fuck, babe, you feel amazing."

"Lucas, please," Mark gasps out, and whines high in his throat when Lucas gives him what he wants, a filthy, precise slide in and out that has Mark immediately clutching for Lucas's shoulders. They weren't always so good at this - Lucas holding back for fear of hurting him, Mark burying his face in his hands at the slightest hint of shyness. And yet, every time they fumbled and worried and laughed at their own floundering brought them closer to knowing how they fit together best, Lucas kissing down Mark's throat as he angles the next thrust just right. It feels so maddeningly good, Mark can't help but moan louder, arching into Lucas's touch when he manages to get a hand on him between the slick friction of their bodies.

Even so, it's Lucas whose movements fall out of rhythm first, his own slow pace finally catching up to him, hissing out, "Shit, Mark, I'm - " before he pins Mark's hips down to the mattress with a grip like iron. His hips stutter as he comes for what seems like forever, long, shuddering pulses that have Mark squirming and whimpering helplessly as he chases his own finish. Orgasms draw Lucas's body out into languid lines, and Mark resigns himself to being trapped under the warm, solid weight of his boyfriend for a few moments longer, stroking down the length of Lucas's long back even as he grinds upwards, hoping to catch some purchase against Lucas's abs during the wait.

"Good?" he asks sweetly, and Lucas groans, dazed and sated, like he's still getting his bearings. As Lucas heaves himself up onto his elbows again, the movement of his cock inside has Mark shuddering in response, flicking his gaze up to meet Lucas's before he can pull out and leave Mark empty, yearning.

"Who's the tease now," Lucas murmurs even as he shifts his weight back onto his heels. Mark braces himself for Lucas to withdraw, and hopefully replace his cock with his fingers until Mark can finally, _finally_ come, but instead Lucas rolls his hips forward in a way that catches Mark's prostate perfectly, the shock of pleasure unexpected and all the more potent for it. He sets a pace that has Mark gasping for breath in between desperate whimpers and cries that feel punched out of his chest, even though Lucas has to be rapidly approaching oversensitive, at the edge of painfulness - Lucas stretches his torso over Mark's and brings their mouths together in a wet clash, sucking on Mark's tongue, and that's it, tipping Mark over the edge into a white torrent of blissful release.

When he comes back to his body, he blinks disorientedly at the ceiling, only vaguely conscious of the warmth of Lucas's body and the drag of his fingers through Mark's hair, catching gently on small knots and tangles. They're a mess, bodies most definitely sticking together from their combined sweat and come, but Mark doesn't think he'll ever move again. "Oh, god," he rasps out, voice torn up from all the noise he only just remembers making. Lucas huffs a laugh out against Mark's bare shoulder, pressing a kiss to the same spot that fills Mark with warmth, tipping an extra cup into the pool at the pit of his stomach that overflows with a fierce, quiet affection for this boy.

"Good, I hope," Lucas says, and smiles - okay, smirks - into it when Mark turns his head for a proper kiss, and Mark finds that attractive, too, exasperating as it may be.

"The best," Mark replies, watching as Lucas's smugness fades just as easily into a bashful adoration. Lucas is gratifyingly reluctant to pull out, stroking his fingertips along Mark’s thighs and murmuring apologies between sweet nothings, but Mark can’t help but pout a little as Lucas moves away. Still, it’s not long until Lucas has wiped their bellies clean and curls up around Mark again, pulling him into the warm circle of his arms.

The downpour has finally slowed, its final smatterings of rain more mist than actual precipitation. Soft and blurred through the drizzle, the remaining city lights infuse everything around them with a dreamy, golden glow, and Mark lifts his head from where it was pillowed on Lucas's chest to take in his expression. He looks peaceful, and unbearably fond. Mark wants him to always look like this, contentedness radiating out of him so strongly Mark could reach out and touch it in the air around them. He settles for leaning in to kiss the corner of Lucas's mouth, where his lips curve up in the beginnings of a smile.

"Let's sleep, baby," Lucas murmurs, eyes already shut. "Dim sum in the morning."

"Okay," Mark whispers back. He giggles as Lucas nuzzles against his jaw, trailing down Mark's neck lightly enough to tickle, before their mouths find each other in the darkness and they kiss. Tomorrow, they'll go get dim sum, Lucas ordering in fluid, confident Cantonese; tomorrow, they'll walk around the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui and do some casual shopping, trying on increasingly silly hats until they laugh too hard to stay in the shop without disturbing other customers. But right now, they have this, bodies tangled together, all heat and closeness. Mark tucks himself closer to Lucas's side and Lucas's grip tightens briefly before relaxing again, the even rhythm of his breathing lulling Mark back to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> many thanks to all the friends who provided cheerleading and pep talks, and to you for taking the time to read this! i'd love to hear what you thought. hopefully i'll add many more fics to the lumark tag this year!
> 
> find me on twitter [@lumarkbot](http://twitter.com/lumarkbot) / cc [@markgeolli](https://curiouscat.me/markgeolli) :-)


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